New Jazz2Online Layout
- Posted:
- 27 Jul 2010 at 07:02
You may or may not remember the launch of “J2Ov2” in 2004, in which this site got its current layout among a lot of other new features. Designed by Ovi Demetrian, also known as GraphixJJF, it’s served us well over the years and established the iconic purple-yellow look of J2O.
But now, it’s 6 years later and displays have gotten bigger and this site has grown quite a bit too in several aspects. So, the plan is to give Jazz2Online a fresh new layout that:
- Utilizes available screen space better
- Allows for future new features
- Has a consistent look across the site sections
- Looks good!
Problem is, we don’t actually have someone in the staff with time or skills to do such a redesign at this point. So that’s why we’re turning to you, dear readers. Do you feel you’re up for this task, that you can help us make the site look better? Awesome! Let me (Stijn) know via a PM, if possible with some examples of other work you’ve done, and we can talk things through.
EDIT: The comments thread here is getting rather big; please go to the JCF thread for further discussion.
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So, will this be J2Ov3 then?
I don’t think you can really put a version number on J2O anymore – there’s still bits and pieces from 2004 around that were made when J2Ov2 was released, but a large part has been redone behind the scenes and there’s a lot of new features around too. But yeah, it’d be the third distinct site look, as far as I know.
Besides, J2Ov3 is already around… ;)
I am good in Photo Shop, and in Paint Shop Pro, so I will make new layout for this ;)
J2Ov3 is beta? or not?
lol me too..is he beta?
Right now J2O is probably around v3.2 actually. All the features like user lists and tagging and what not…
there is no such thing like J2Ov3, there are always some fixes.., well, I can’t do anything.., busy.
Yes, J2Ov3 exists. It’s very retro though.
well,the layout will be better whatever
How do you know, it even can be worse then what it is now :p, we don’t know it yet. We hope for a better layout ;D
maybe I can help? XD
Maybe! If you think you can, please send me a PM as described in the newspost.
well I am making something, I took screen of home page, and I’m editing it. I will send you PM with link for screen when I finish it ;)
I think making a new layout is mostly CSS and JavaScript, but you could always come up with some new ideas and make textures :P
tropiCCo can you send me the link to it too when u get done?
Thankx
well I can send but when I finish, can’t tonight.. tomorrow I am able the whole day ;). And Nerd, I know that layout is mostly CSS and JS (does this site has JS?) but I really have something in my head what I am trying to make for real ;).
Sorry for double post, I tried to edit my comment up, but I got Error: “You are not allowed to edit this message. You don’t have the appropiate rank. “ wth ? But all what I wanted to say is that my new layout is blue color biased ;).
Blue sux.
=( Stijn, only 2 things I can’t make.. I can but I am not experienced with it a lot, and that is Logo and Background Image. I recommend for BG to use Screen from DW not JJnet Edit, it will fit with my theme I think. Or some other level with blue theme :). Maybe Blur’s level with crates :D (Idk name, but played in JDC events)
Just let me see what you have once you’re finished, we can discuss it more thoroughly then. It’s hard for me to say anything when I haven’t seen your work yet.
Will the custom style feature be enabled after the whole thing? I believe a lot of people would like to keep it yellow-purple, the other ones would want Toni’s blue and some would choose Lori Central theme or something even more sick.
I agree with sir elementaler, im in love with the yellow-purple layout :-(
That depends. If there is a new layout and if it’s possible to customize it without too much work (if it depends on images, for example, changing the colours is difficult) the feature will probably return.
here are my screenshoots:
1. A normal one: http://upload.digiex.net/files/n8rq9d31mry3hdfy0okr.png
2. With sucky DW background: http://upload.digiex.net/files/zh5tjl35azu5sfqwt609.png
Tell me do you like them? :)
That looks pretty similar to the existing site, right down to the width, which still appears fixed. It also has the same problem with a double topbar (or triple if you count the user control links). The background is definitely a no, it’s a huge non-tiling image that still won’t be big enough for most screens.
tropiCCo: That doesn’t look bad but it’s not exactly a new layout, but a reskin of our current one.
heh violet, I said up there I am not experienced with making backgrounds and logos a lot. Also I told if someone can make a new BG and Logo, it will be good (maybe you if you can :) ? ). I made a skin of this site, because I like this style of site, but I can make a new layout (probably with this skin) for sure tomorrow if I have a time.
Please check your PMs, I wrote down some thoughts about your work. I agree with Violet and cooba though; we’re not just looking for a reskin, but a completely new design. A (very) crude mockup that might be of use as in inspiration, in case anyone’s interested:
http://www.jazz2online.com/v4/Perhaps this whole discussion should be shifted to a JCF thread.
Ni, this is J2O :)
I’m going to be honest and say Toni’s design proposal sucks. It’s hideous.
I love the current scheme and think it should not be changed in terms of colours but rather be altered in a way that allows more of the screen to be filled with something. Right now, most of my window shows the Jazz Jackrabbit 2 background.
Yeah I don’t like tropiCCo’s design neither.
green and black
But anyway he’s the only one who worked on it so GJ Toni. :P
thanks KiMO.
@ Ron, I tried but it sucks :(.
Atm I have scheme, and started something.
http://upload.digiex.net/files/s74e94k8hsupwfe83l36.png Still I need to fix sidepanels and maybe some other font, size, colors, etc. ;)
I don’t get it, why do you insist on using dark colours? The game, to me at least, brings bright and colourful associations.
The topbar seems pretty overloaded for me, and I believe most of people don’t use the first 5 buttons. It’s just my opinion, but I think they should be merged.
Colour scheme, or the design itself, seem to have little in common with jazz jackrabbit 2.
Toni’s design indeed isn’t really what we’re looking for, for reasons stated before; however, as Kimo said, major props to him for the effort!
Just some stupid idea:
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1442/j2onl.jpg
“Utilizes available screen space better”
That’s still a fixed width layout.
“Allows for future new features”
Adding any new features with that would be a nightmare, a dozen times worse than our current (stupid) image button bar.
Again, it looks alright, but it’s still only a reskin of our current, flawed layout.
If nothing interesting will happen for long enough, I’m probably going to give it a try. I hope I won’t need to though.
Dodges’ layout is certainly creative, but yeah, it doesn’t really address any of the problems our current site design has. Fixed width isn’t necessarily bad, but it is if it leads to less available screen space than the current layout.
For further discussion, I suggest we use the JCF thread